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The Terrain: Highland Edition: 8-Day Leadership Immersion in Iceland with Stika
Iceland
8 days
Difficulty:Moderate
Trip Type:Comfort
Group size:8
4.9Highlights
The Terrain is an 8-day leadership program on Iceland's Laugavegur Trail - built for executive leaders, founders, and decision-makers at a significant inflection point in their leadership.
The 2026 cohort is women only.
The Laugavegur is widely considered one of the most beautiful trails on earth. Each day feels like a different country - an unforgettable journey you will embark on:
- Rhyolite mountains streaked in ochre, burgundy, and sulphur yellow
- Vast obsidian plains and steaming geothermal valleys
- Dramatic glacial river crossings and canyon landscapes
- Thorsmork - a hidden birch forest valley ringed by glaciers
The terrain doesn't respond to reputation or title. It responds to presence and the capacity to stay oriented when conditions shift. That is precisely why we work here.
The Terrain: Highland Edition is fixed at 6-8 participants, designed and led by Rakel , founder of STIKA. A structured leadership program for executive leaders who sense that a shift is overdue - and are ready to find out what.
Each day combines the physical journey with structured leadership work. The weather will change. The route asks something of you. Both are part of why this works - and why those who walk it rarely forget it.
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Itinerary
The Terrain: Highland Edition: 8-Day Leadership Immersion in Iceland with Stika
DAY 1
Arrival in Iceland - Threshold
DAY 2
The First Marker
DAY 3
Meeting Your Edge
All Meals
All meals are included throughout the program - breakfasts, packed lunches on the trail, hut dinners, the welcome dinner on Day 1, the farewell dinner on Day 7, and snacks on the trail.
Transfers
All transfers and luggage transportation are included. Participants are collected by super jeep in Reykjavík on Day 2 and transported to the trailhead at Landmannalaugar. On Day 7, super jeep transfer returns the group from Þórsmörk to Reykjavík. Throughout the trail days, all main luggage is transported between huts on your behalf.
Accommodation
All accommodation is included as outlined below. On the trail, nights are spent in shared rural mountain huts. The Reykjavík nights are at a boutique 4-star property.
Admission fees
Entry fees for museums, parks, historical sites, and other attractions included in the trip.
Luggage Transfers
Cost for transferring your luggage.
Airport Transfers
Transportation from and to the airport on arrival and departure.
Local Guide
The program is led by Rakel Steinberg Solvadottir, founder of STIKA, accompanied by another local female assistant guide. Both guides are Search and Rescue members.
What's not included
Alcoholic Beverages
Costs for any alcoholic drinks consumed during the trip.
International Flights
Flights to and from the start and end point at your destination.
Gratuities
Tips and gratuities for guides, drivers, and service staff.
Visas
Required visa fees for your travel.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance from a trusted provider for your adventure.
Personal gear
All the personal gear required for your adventure.
International flights
Flights outside the country that are necessary to reach different destinations on the itinerary.
Domestic flights
Flights within the country that are necessary to reach different destinations on the itinerary.
Day 1
1 night in Hotel Reykjavík Saga - a boutique 4-star property situated at the heart of the city centre on Laekjargata, steps from Lake Tjornin, the Reykjavík Art Museum, and the cathedral, on double occupancy basis. A considered place to arrive into and depart from. A spa with sauna and steam room is available on site.
A single occupancy upgrade is available for $250 per person.
Day 2
Rustic mountain hut in Hrafntinnusker - basic, sufficient, and exactly right for where you are. They include shared, heated, dormitory-style bunk beds, communal kitchens with gas stoves, running water, and shared toilet facilities.
Day 3
Rustic mountain hut in Álftavatn - basic, sufficient, and exactly right for where you are. They include shared, heated, dormitory-style bunk beds, communal kitchens with gas stoves, running water, shared toilet facilities and paid showers.
Day 4
Rural mountain hut in Emstrur - basic, sufficient, and exactly right for where you are. They include shared, heated, dormitory-style bunk beds, communal kitchens with gas stoves, running water, shared toilet facilities and paid showers.
Day 5 & 6
Rustic mountain lodge in Þórsmörk - basic, sufficient, and exactly right for where you are. They include shared, heated, dormitory-style bunk beds, communal kitchens with gas stoves, running water, shared toilet facilities, paid showers and a minimal convenience store.
Day 7
1 night in Hotel Reykjavík Saga - a boutique 4-star property situated at the heart of the city centre on Laekjargata, steps from Lake Tjornin, the Reykjavík Art Museum, and the cathedral, on double occupancy basis. A considered place to arrive into and depart from. A spa with sauna and steam room is available on site.
Single occupancy upgrade available for $250 per person.
Departure Dates
from $6750 /person
Private groups
FAQs
Why Book With Us?
All-Inclusive Packages
Enjoy hassle-free travel with end-to-end, pre-planned trip packages that cover accommodations, meals, guides, permits, and more.
Trip Preparation
We provide essential resources like gear lists and training plans to ensure you're fully prepared for your adventure. Our goal is to equip you with everything you need to embark on your trip with confidence.
Local Guides
Our experts carefully handpick local guiding companies, who undergo a rigorous vetting process. Local guides enrich your journey with unique insights and expertise.
Sustainable Travel
We are committed to preserving our planet by encouraging our guiding partners and travelers to adopt eco-friendly practices. All tours are designed to benefit local communities.
Meet your host
Rakel Solvadottir
Rakel Steinberg Solvadottir, the founder of STIKA, is a nature-led executive coach, award-winning tech entrepreneur, and active Search & Rescue leader in Iceland. Rakel has designed 'The Terrain' as the flagship leadership program of STIKA. Fluent across both technical systems and human ones, Rakel has spent her career as a translator between engineering complexity and executive decision-making, a rare combination that shapes every aspect of how The Terrain is designed and facilitated.
Her work sits at the intersection of leadership, pressure, and presence. How people make decisions when stakes are real. How they hold themselves when comfort disappears. How they lead without burning out or losing integrity. The Terrain is the fullest expression of that work - eight days in Iceland's volcanic interior, built to surface what a boardroom cannot.
Rakel holds a BSc in Computer Engineering, a Master's in Human Resource Management and Occupational Psychology, and is an ICF-certified Executive Coach - a combination that informs how she works with decision-making, performance, identity, and nervous system capacity in high-stakes environments. She is a Techstars alumna, has been recognized by Forbes for her work as a founder, and was named Nerd of the Year in Iceland in 2012. She serves on the Gardabaer City Council, including its welfare committee. She has spent decades in tech and startups, leading through complexity, ambiguity, and pressure, and understands the conditions that senior leaders actually operate under, not the theoretical version.
Rakel is an active member of Icelandic Search & Rescue, leading Super Jeep operations across glaciers, river crossings, and terrain where mistakes carry real consequences. That environment rewards one thing: competence. Calm judgment. Precise execution. Teamwork that holds under pressure. Nothing else survives out there.
Adventure together
Invite your friends and family on your adventure:
$6750
/ person